VW Rabbit Pickup?
August 16, 2004 - 2:00pm
Hey all,
Another newbie looking to get started. Anybody have any experience with rabbit pickups? For some reason I feel like I've been told the pickups are really unreliable. I can't remember where I heard this or whether it was a reliable source. This would be the perfect vehicle for my conversion if there are no problems. I'm curious to hear anything good or bad about them.
Thanks
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Burn down the McMansion
August 16, 2004 - 7:18pm
#2
Yes, they do blow head gaskets, but that's not so much of an ordeal if you have a good mechanic. I would love to have a rabbit pickup. I wish VW still made them. Be sure to check the transmission. If it pops out of any gear, you're looking at a new tranny soon.
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If a horse can eat green *&!# and run like a mother-&*#!er then so can {my car}!
-Miles Davis
August 17, 2004 - 12:22pm
#3
Greased Yak are you in Connecticut?
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Burn down the McMansion
August 19, 2004 - 7:32am
#4
I have a VW rabbit truck. It is the perfect little vehicle: 40 mpg, front wheel drive; handles like a car, and I can sleep in the back (I'm not tall).
There isn't any space under the vehicle for an extra tank though, (a spare tire's important in my book) so my veggie tank and spare fuel cans live in the bed of the pickup.
As far as the engine stuff goes, the nice folks who sold it had just put in a new engine/trans, so I'm hoping not to have to worry about this for a while.
But if anybody knows how one avoids a blown head gasket, let me know.
Unless I'm stupid and misguided, these are good little rigs. Good for the highway, good for around town little jobs, good for their lean fuel appetite. Not good for 4 wheeling, or heavy hauling though.
Buy one if it seems well maintained.
August 19, 2004 - 9:43am
#5
Hi Bananas.
I looked for a "Caddy," the VW pickup that they used to make. Volvo used to buy their diesels off of VW/Audi back at that time, and not only do head gaskets blow but the heads had a tendency to crack out from the top of the combustion chamber out to the bolt holes. This comes from a reliable source at The Volvo Shop, in Ravena Ohio. I am not aware of what years were safe to purchase after, but obviously they have fixed the problem. The Caddy pickup is a VW rabbit with a pickup body on a unitized frame, so it is a car open up by cutting the top off basically and that can lead to body flex issues that may or may not concern you.
Look on Ebay - I have seen many of them for sale on there over the last 8 months since I began cashing down my first engine/trans for my project car and I just bought a Mercedes diesel off there, and am very happy with the prices and vehicles they have. Look for something that has been inspected and certified with good representation and you should be ok. (and wait to the last minute to fire your bid in!)
Good luck
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Love Peace and Grease
August 19, 2004 - 11:02am
#6
speaking of ebay, this one was on there a couple of weeks ago and didnt sell, no bids (probably because its in michigans upper peninsula). i dont know where you're located, but it might be worth dropping them an e-mail. it looks like a good one for a decent price. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=2486031916&ssPag...
August 19, 2004 - 11:15am
#7
very sorry, upon further inspection it looks as if it may have sold before the auction ended. still a good one though. sorry
August 19, 2004 - 4:10pm
#8
Fried bananas, I am in CT. How did you know?
August 21, 2004 - 5:34am
#9
Thanks everybody for responding.
What's up Josh, I'll have to remember to call sometime to hear how the Greasecar is coming. Say hello to the wife.
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Burn down the McMansion
August 23, 2004 - 11:49am
#10
In reply to the VW pickup question, I have been commuting 50 miles a day in an 81 Rabbit Pickup for a few years with no problems except for a little dampness coming inside on rainy days. I've had a few diesel Rabbits before and never had a problem with an engine or transmission (except for the day I accidently put gasoline in the tank). I have only driven about 2,000 miles on SVO so it's too soon to evaluate but so far I'm amazed at how well the car runs. Actually, it's a little boring.... flip the switch and nothing changes except a much sweeter exhaust and the diesel fuel gauge stops going down!
August 27, 2004 - 3:15pm
#11
I have 3 rabbits and have put over 250k on them without a blown head gasket. Maybe I'm just lucky but I think the main thing is to not let them run hot.
Lee
September 1, 2004 - 3:59pm
#12
the volvo diesel was made by VW. The engine had 2 extra cylinders. The lubrication system wasn't adequate. I had a 85 golf and it was ok. I put a new head gasket in and rebuilt the head but the vacuum pump seized and broke the new Timing belt after about 10,000 miles. The transmission was hard to shift even after I installed new shift linkages. Other than that it was fine.
The Pickup isn't that much different from a regular Rabbit. If you can find one that has been taken care of you should buy it.
September 1, 2004 - 7:28pm
#13
Hey Fried Bannanas,
Like Lee said don't let the vw overrheat and ur ok had one many moons ago and the shop where a rebuilt eng was installed lefty a hose clamp off the radiator and after overheating a bit the head gasket blew 6 months later.
Good Luck goin grease
Dave
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WHAZ UP hey all out there -nice to see some folks that aren't afraid to go against the grain and think for themselves and not just do as the masses!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 1, 2004 - 7:28pm
#14
Hey Fried Bannanas,
Like Lee said don't let the vw overrheat and ur ok had one many moons ago and the shop where a rebuilt eng was installed lefty a hose clamp off the radiator and after overheating a bit the head gasket blew 6 months later.
Good Luck goin grease
Dave
-------------------------
WHAZ UP hey all out there -nice to see some folks that aren't afraid to go against the grain and think for themselves and not just do as the masses!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 1, 2004 - 7:28pm
#15
Hey Fried Bannanas,
Like Lee said don't let the vw overrheat and ur ok had one many moons ago and the shop where a rebuilt eng was installed lefty a hose clamp off the radiator and after overheating a bit the head gasket blew 6 months later.
Good Luck goin grease
Dave
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WHAZ UP hey all out there -nice to see some folks that aren't afraid to go against the grain and think for themselves and not just do as the masses!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 5, 2004 - 7:09am
#16
Hi I also have a 81 caddy with 279,000 miles on it(diesel of course!) I have over 3,000 miles on waste oil now with no problems with the motor or tranny?I live in michigan but the vehicle apparently lived most of its life in florida. Its very clean underneath and the strut towers are rust free!These 1.6 motors are so basic to work on it's almost comical!Of course if you have no mechanical skills at all your taking a chance with any vehicle thats 23 years old!I talked to a local mechanic that worked on these rabbits when they were new and he had nothing bad to say about the diesel ones, also he said he would typically do a complete rebuild with the motor in the car or truck? Bye
September 25, 2004 - 8:35am
#17
The blown head gasket myth is based upon failures primarily with the converted diesel motor introduced back in 1978 or so. The gas motors are notoriously dependable, long lived and fuel efficient with their Bosch fuel injection (carbs used back in 1975-1979).
While the diesel I owned never had the problem (most low maintenance vehicle I'd ever owned over 100,000 mile period), my gas powered units have always run reliably, and as another mentioned, lots of motors are available in the salvage yards for a pittance.
Of course the 1.9 litre GTi motor is more desireable as horsepower went from approximately 76 hp to 92, and with the european cam installed- 100hp and great torque.
I have had three trucks- watch for rust on strut towers of 1980 models as the first year utilized a twin wall construction which can trap moisture and salts and rust away- dangerously. The 1982-3-4 models went with a thicker single wall construction. They were all built in the Westmoreland Plant in Pennsylvania- designed in America too, and based on the 4 door rabbit chassis so everything basically transfers over except body specific stuff in the rear, obviously.
Prices have been on the rise over the last 10 years on these, so anything that runs under a $1,000 is a steal, a neighbor sold a dead diesel on ebay this summer for $1,150.00!!!
So, if you find a good chassis with no rust, have fun, drop in a junk yard motor if need be and enjoy 25-36 mpg cruising depending on the motor size (my GTi doesn't give over 32mpg hwy).
-Good Luck
Larry
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Supposedly the old rabbit engines can blow their head gaskets. I'm not sure how you prevent this, although there are tons of old rabbits around, so there must be a way...